I have been on a mission in Taichung just to find boxes of matches. Every 99 store, old and new only sells lighters. Anyone have a suggestion?
Many stores in Danshui riverside also sells matches… they’re like 10nt a box (small box).
Look for toy stores that sells fireworks… they should also sell matches.
Last time I saw matches was in Jiufen, as souvenirs. OP is right, they are hard to find.
Oddly, in the West they’re plentiful… they’re dirt cheap in Germany for example (.85 Euro for like 10 boxes) and I used them to start fires because lighters were expensive as hell compared to matches… even though matches are hard to use. I suppose because lighters are dirt cheap here (20nt at Family Mart, cheaper if bought in bulk) and easier to use, no one wants to bother with matches.
We usually go the places that sell things for the ancestor worship usually near the temples to get matches.